Is Tony Ferguson being selfish in his determination to fight “until the wheels fall off”?
After suffering his seventh straight loss inside the Octagon last December, fighters and fans alike called for ‘El Cucuy’ to lay down his gloves for good. In fact, pundits have been practically begging Ferguson to walk away from the sport for years, but thus far, the former interim lightweight champion just keeps chugging along, hoping to one day climb his way out of the hole he currently finds himself in.
During a recent appearance on the JAXXON Podcast with Octagon icon Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Ferguson once again made it abundantly clear that he would not be taking the advice of the people with two simple words — “f*ck retiring.”
Tony Ferguson says “fuck retiring” following loss at #UFC296. 👀
“I’m gonna fight until the wheels fall off.”
🎥 Jaxxon podcast pic.twitter.com/yxc2Qe29ig
— Parry Punch (@ParryPunchNews) February 23, 2024
Sharing his thoughts on the latest episode of the WEIGHING IN Podcast with co-host ‘Big’ John McCarthy, former Strikeforce titleholder Josh Thomson suggested that Ferguson is only thinking of himself rather than considering how the long-term effects of losing could negatively impact his family.
“[The wheels] are off. It’s time to move on,” Thomson said. “It’s a decision that every fighter has to make and I know that he’s going to have to make it on his own. Maybe there’s a lot of money left on the table and the UFC willing to keep [letting him fight], but I’m looking at him and I’m thinking, right now you’re just being selfish.”
The last time Tony Ferguson’s hand was raised was following a second-round stoppage against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in June 2019. Since then, he’s been finished in four out of his last seven fights, with two particularly brutal knockouts coming against Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler.
“He’s got kids and he needs to stop being selfish and start thinking about them,” Thomson added. “Don’t look at it about yourself, that’s the problem. He’s gotta look at it in terms of where are you gonna be at after this? Are you you going to be able to still throw the ball with your kids? Are you going to still be able to try to wrestle and teach your kids how to wrestle?”
McCarthy Believes Someone Close to Tony Ferguson Needs to Step Up and Tell Him to Stop
Clearly, Tony Ferguson isn’t going to take it upon himself to walk away. Offering his take on the situation, John McCarthy believes that someone close to ‘El Cucuy’ needs to step up and convince him to stop before it has a permanent impact on his everyday life.
“The problem is, Tony has got a different mentality than a lot of people,” McCarthy said. “He is a fighter to the core. He loves it, and he’s not looking two steps ahead. He’s not even looking one step ahead. He’s looking at right now, this is what I want to do and not understanding what the last seven fights have done to him as a fighter and to him as a person. As a guy who wants to be there for your kids and grandkids.
“Gotta look and say the damage will add up and there comes a point when it’s over for everyone and I would love to see Tony take the advice of other people. Take the advice of anybody who’s close to him at this point and say, ‘It’s okay, man. You had a phenomenal career, but losing is just as contagious as winning.’ It starts to seep into your soul.”
Watch the full episode below:
